[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 158 (2012), Part 13]
[Senate]
[Page 18647]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                      REMEMBERING DANIEL K. INOUYE

  Mr. CONRAD: Mr. President, I want to take a moment to honor the life 
and career of my colleague and friend, Senator Daniel Inouye, who 
passed away on Monday, December 17 at the age of 88.
  To say that Mr. Inouye lived a full life would be an understatement. 
A veteran of World War II, Mr. Inouye served his country valiantly in 
Italy before sustaining an injury that would claim his right arm. The 
bravery shown by Mr. Inouye during his service to our country later 
earned him the Bronze Star Medal, a Purple Heart, a Distinguished 
Service Cross and ultimately, the Medal of Honor, the highest military 
award.
  Mr. Inouye began his political career after graduating from the 
University of Hawaii. He then obtained a law degree from one of my alma 
maters, the George Washington University. After first being elected to 
serve in the Hawaii territorial House of Representatives and later the 
territorial Senate, Mr. Inouye became the first person from Hawaii 
elected to the United States House of Representatives after Hawaii 
became a state in 1959. After serving 3 years in the House, Mr. Inouye 
was elected to the Senate where he would go on to be elected to serve 
the people of Hawaii 9 times. In June of 2010, Mr. Inouye was elected 
to succeed Senator Robert Byrd as President pro tempore of the Senate.
  Throughout his political career, Senator Inouye was first and 
foremost a servant of the people of Hawaii. He has served them in 
Congress ever since Hawaii was admitted to the Union. After over five 
decades of service, it is no wonder that Dan's mark can be seen all 
across the islands. I was proud to serve with Senator Inouye on the 
Indian Affairs Committee, where he was a voice for the Native Hawaiian 
population. Throughout his career, he worked tirelessly to ensure that 
Native Hawaiians had access to education, healthcare, and jobs. One of 
his achievements was the Native American Languages Act, which has 
helped Native people preserve and practice their tribal languages. In 
particular, during my first term in the Senate, Senator Inouye worked 
with me in the committee to pass legislation providing compensation for 
two Indian tribes in my State that were impacted by the construction of 
the dams along the Missouri River. That effort provided a critical 
source of funding for the tribes to restore their economic base.
  Senator Inouye also fought hard to defend Hawaii's natural beauty. 
Because of his efforts, thousands of additional acres have been added 
to national parks, wildlife refuges, and nature preserves. It would be 
hard to imagine what Hawaii would be like today without Senator 
Inouye's leadership and effective representation. His love for the 
people of Hawaii was on his mind and in his heart even at the end, when 
the last word he spoke was ``Aloha.''
  In his role as chairman of the Appropriations Committee, Mr. Inouye 
fought for aid for my home State of North Dakota after devastating, 
record breaking flood waters decimated the community of Minot in 2011. 
Mr. Inouye used his power to ensure that the residents of Minot 
received critical aid to help them rebuild their lives.
  Mr. Inouye is survived by his wife, Irene Hirano; his son, Ken; and 
granddaughter, Maggie. His service to his country is second to none, 
the loss of Mr. Inouye will be greatly missed in his home State of 
Hawaii and here in the Senate.

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